April 4, 2008
Madison Square Garden's Half Billion Dollar Makeover
A week after abandoning plans to build a new arena at the planned Moynihan Station, Madison Square Garden officials revealed $500 million plans to renovate the 40-year-old space. Cablevision--which owns MSG--vice chairman Hank Ratner told reporters that though the company supports Moynihan Station, "We are going to renovate the arena here, and we are not going to be moving...We can accomplish anything we want by renovating." Well, Cablevision probably does like those tax breaks.
The plans call for extensive interior changes, such as a new entrance to the arena, widening concourses, and 50% more space for bathrooms, to transform MSG from dingy and claustrophobic to roomy, airy and pleasant. Murray Benyon of Canadian architecture firm Brisbin Brook Beynon noted the amount of seats would stay the same, but the grade will be raised 17% to improve sightlines.
WNBC's Jay DeDapper reports luxury suites will be "brought down from the rafters to a more suitable mid-level position and "another 20 will be situated just below floor level at courtside allowing those with prized courtside/rinkside seats to have direct access to their own little party place just steps away." There will also be a restaurants and bars "cantilevered over the stands" and a VIP club where, per AP, "customers [can] shout out to athletes as they walk into the arena and back to their locker room."
All the work is to be done during the summers so the Knicks and Rangers games aren't interrupted, starting next year and completed by late 2011. The exterior isn't changing (yet) and since the building will occupy the same footprint, MSG won't need to get as many permits for the work.
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crap, does that put the Liberty at Radio City again for three full seasons?
Derivative, boring, and an insult to the memory of a dead man.
Way to go, douchebags.
Also, #1, they might go to the Meadowlands or Nassau Coliseum or something.
hmm. if the knicks still suck by the time that VIP club is finished, that could be an ugly scene.
Looks pretty good; it's hard to believe they'll be able to make it look that nice, but if they could renovate Fenway into a nice park they can renovate anything these days, I suppose.
The concourses, specifically, look nice. Anything will be better than the feel of my high school's hallway.
Looks pretty good; it's hard to believe they'll be able to make it look that nice, but if they could renovate Fenway into a nice park they can renovate anything these days, I suppose.
The concourses, specifically, look nice. Anything will be better than the feel of my high school's hallway.
There's no need for Gothamist to adopt a self-serving MSG press release in their reporting.
Luxury boxes in a "more suitable" location? What a load of crap. Up top is the suitable location.
Raising the grade 17% is going to "improve sightlines"? Also a load of crap. It's going to create more crappy seats and destroy what was good about the Garden, that so many seats were not stuck in the rafters.
There is no way any of this will happen on time, whatever the final time is for amount of work each summer.
But, hey, so long as Isaiah is running the show, they keep the focus on the losing Knicks and not on the construction.
am I huffing paint, or is there very little wrong with MSG as it is now? i've had the worst seat in the house and it was still pretty decent (for hockey at least).
#8, go to a game at the new place in Newark. You know, for research purposes only.
Also, they have brisket sandwiches.
Save $500 million. Sell the Knicks.
good point, dave.
Whaaaaat? There's nothing at all wrong with the sightlines at MSG. Gradeck and Bxbrian are absolutely right. One of the bad things about the new place in Newark is how high the seats are. This is just an excuse to move the luxury boxes lower, even though the fact that the bowl isn't interrupted by the luxury boxes is one of the best things about MSG.
So no concerts bleh I hate PNC and rainy Jones Beach......
Anyway I hear the city has to approve this - they better try it after Bloomberg leaves office - after Dolan screwed with the Jets stadium deal and now has pulled out of Moynihan station there must not be any good blood or business for that matter left between the parties.
JMH, I disagree about the sightlines at MSG. They're lousy. The pitch is too low. I would rather have a second level of seats in balcony but without one or two levels of skyboxes in between. In other words the old Boston Garden although without obstructed seats and with air conditioning.
The city needs to eminent domain the damn thing and build Penn Station. This would be a proper use for it, and would provide great benefit to the city and region. More benefit than some stupid arena could bring.
Because MSG doesn't bring in wads of cash for the city of anything, Mr. von Meistersinger...
You might not like basketball but it doesn't mean the city shouldn't have a team playing it in Manhattan.
MSG is an ugly Soviet pillbox that would be a civic disgrace to a rustbelt shithole like Akron, let alone New York. It needs to be demolished posthaste- even a hole on the ground would be an improvement.
While they're at it, let's demolish the "Penn Station" and the Port Authority as well.
wow, that place hasn't changed much since I've worked there in 83'.